Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote should be planned as separate island trips. Santa Cruz and Las Palmas have their own city guides because their transport, neighbourhoods and urban beaches differ from the wider islands.
Plan the region
Inter-island flights and ferries can work, but changing islands takes a meaningful part of a day. A week on one island often produces a better trip than a rushed three-island circuit.
Destinations in Canary Islands
- Tenerife: Tenerife combines volcanic highlands, green northern valleys, busy southern resorts and historic towns across an island with sharp climate differences.
- Gran Canaria: Gran Canaria ranges from Las Palmas city life and northern towns to high interior roads, southern resorts and the protected Maspalomas dune landscape.
- Lanzarote: Lanzarote’s lava fields, low white towns, designed cultural sites and sheltered beaches create a compact island with exposed weather and protected landscapes.
Use the route planner to keep stops in a sensible travel corridor.
Sources and updates
This guide was last reviewed on 28 August 2026. Transport, access and opening arrangements can change, so check the official source before travel.
- Official Tenerife tourism, Turismo de Tenerife
- Official Gran Canaria tourism, Gran Canaria Tourist Board
- Official Lanzarote tourism, Lanzarote Tourism Board
- Official Canary Islands tourism, Canary Islands Tourism